Every year, hundreds of thousands of older Americans and adults with disabilities experience abuse, neglect, or exploitation. Abuse can happen anywhere, including in the person’s home, in a facility responsible for the person’s care, or in the home of a friend or relative. People who have no family or friends in the area and people with memory problems or dementia may be particularly vulnerable.

See the chart below to learn how to recognize different types and signs of elder abuse.

Your help can make an incredible difference in the life of a vulnerable adult. Click here for information about reporting elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

How do I recognize elder abuse, neglect, or exploitation?

General signs of abuse, neglect, or exploitation may include:

Isolation from friends and family

Depression or anxiety

Confusion, agitation, or frequent sadness

Decreased involvement in activities that the person previously enjoyed

Sudden weight loss or gain

Poor hygiene

Trouble sleeping

Lack of money to meet basic needs

Physical Abuse

Physical abuse happens when someone uses physical force to cause bodily harm to an older person. It may involve pushing, shoving, hitting, slapping, shaking, kicking, burning, or pinching, over-medication, the inappropriate use of restraints, or other acts that can cause physical harm.

Signs of physical abuse may include:

Unexplained bruising, scrapes, scars, or other injuries

Over-medication or inappropriate use of drugs

Force-feeding

Broken eye glasses

Withholding a walker, wheelchair, or other needed physical aids

Neglect and Self-Neglect

Neglect happens when a caregiver refuses or fails to meet the older person's basic needs. This is the most common form of abuse among older adults.

Self-Neglect happens when the older person himself is unable to meet his own needs and suffers harm as a result.

Financial Abuse or Exploitation happens when someone uses an older person’s money, property, or assets for the benefit of someone other than the older person.

Signs of financial abuse or exploitation may include:

Missing money or belongings

Forged checks or forged signatures

Charges on a credit card or bank account that the older person does not recognize

A new joint bank account or a new user on the older person’s bank account

Social Security or VA funds being used by someone else

Changes to a will or life insurance policy

Changes to the title for a home or other property

A family member or friend living with the older person and using the older person’s money

Sexual Abuse

Sexual Abuse happens when someone forces an older person to watch or be part of unwanted sexual acts, or when someone has sexual contact with an older adult who is not physically or mentally able to give consent. This includes sexual harassment, rape or non-consensual sexual contact of any kind, forced nudity, taking photos or videos of the older person that are nude or sexual in nature, and forcing the older person to look at sexual photos or pornography.

Signs of sexual abuse may include:

Unexplained STDs or infections

Mentioning that someone is pressuring them to do things that make them feel uncomfortable

Bruising near the breasts or genital area

Torn, stained, or bloody underclothing

In Florida, any person who knows, or has reasonable cause to suspect, that a vulnerable adult has been or is being abused, neglected, or exploited must immediately report this knowledge or suspicion to the abuse hotline.